Pooper scoopers, politicisation and public service: Framing change in the public sector

Governments historically offered their workforce a ‘public service bargain’ including stable pay and conditions and job security (Hood 2000). While the Westminster system aims for public service employment to be protected... [ view full abstract ]

Governments historically offered their workforce a ‘public service bargain’ including stable pay and conditions and job security (Hood 2000). While the Westminster system aims for public service employment to be protected from the whims of government, public servants are nonetheless affected by the political environment in which they operate and the changes to this public service bargain that can occur with a change of government.
By 2012, many Queensland public service employees and unions had become disillusioned by a long-term Labor government. The major public sector union provided a platform for conservative leader Campbell Newman, through a video recording on their website, in which Newman promised positive changes and improvements to the public service bargain in terms of job security and no forced redundancies (Colley 2016). However, following a landslide election victory, Premier Newman reneged on these commitments and eroded the public service bargain, first announcing plans to cut 20,000 government employees through voluntary redundancies and non-renewal of temporary contracts (Sheldon & Thornthwaite 2013) and later rushing through legislative changes that nullified job security, organisational change and redundancy policies provisions (McCrystal & Orchiston 2013). In the midst of these changes, the Premier injudiciously characterised the Herculean change process as “get[ting] out the pooper scooper every day of the week” (Newman in Hansard 2012, 1677). Not surprisingly, public sector employees protested against these changes. Public sector downsizing can have a strong impact on employee morale, productivity and trust; employees are more likely to accept change, including forced redundancies, if they believe all possible alternatives have been considered and that they have been treated fairly (Brace 2013; Feldheim 2007).
This paper explores this ideologically-driven sector-wide change process. Through a critical discourse analysis of public and media commentary, speeches and Hansard records, the paper reflects on the role of political leadership, communication, fair treatment and trust in the change process (Brace 2013; Feldheim 2007). It also explores resistance to change and the political and symbolic impact of the condemnatory excremental representation (Inglis 2002) of public servants in this change process.